NDC urges government to deal with growing insecurity in Upper East Region

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper East Region has called on the government to as a matter of urgency institute measures to arrest the deteriorating insecurity in the region.

The party said the worsening insecurity situation in the region aside from causing loss of innocent lives, was also derailing the much-needed development of the region.

In a statement issued by the regional secretariat, the NDC said the insecurity in Bawku where the government was yet to find a lasting solution to a chieftaincy conflict, had disrupted education and health service delivery and bringing hardship to the people in a municipality that once was the economic powerhouse of the region.

“The prolonged conflict in Bawku has not only caused loss of innocent lives in the area but has become an obstacle to the accelerated development of the municipality and the region at large. Almost all government workers in the Bawku Municipality and its neighbouring districts have deserted the area,”

“This is posing threats and negative impact on the livelihoods of the citizens in that enclave as far as education and health is concern. Viable economic activities that can make the natives financially independent has come to a halt whilst free movement of people within their communities without fear or panic is also a limitation thereby bringing lots of frustrations to the good people of the Bawku Traditional Area,”

The party said aside from the Bawku conflict, there have also been pockets of happenings in different parts of the region that may pose threat to national security and peaceful coexistence if not properly handled.

The party regional secretary, Akamugri Donatus wrote in the statement that, “apart from the Bawku issues, it was a nationwide phenomenon when another sad incident involving attacks and counter attacks between the Bolga-Sherigu community members and that of the Fulani community made up of both the “Fulani Gidas” and the “Fulani Burologies”.

“The incident led to violent clashes that culminated to so many people being wounded and a number of people standing trial in the Bolgatanga High Court for various criminal charges. We are afraid the situation if not properly handled could eventually lead to bloody clashes between Ghanaians and the Fulani community who have been leaving in peace with us for centuries.”

Attacks

Within two weeks, two key members of the party in the region have been attacked by unidentified gunmen. The first attack on 27 August, 2023, was an attempt on the life of Martin Ariku, the Binduri constituency NDC chairman by faceless gunmen. The gunmen reportedly ransacked Ariku’s residence, but he survived the attack as he was not home. The gunmen were subsequently repelled by residents leading to the killing of three of them.

Then a week later, unknown gunmen reportedly attacked the Nabango residence of Williams Akanyele, an immediate past regional vice chairman of the party, and shot him dead. Akanyele was later discovered in his room in a pool of blood the next morning, with visible gunshot wounds in his neck and abdomen.

His attackers are said to have carried out the killing on Wednesday night, in a suspected case of assassination linked to a simmering chieftaincy dispute.

There have also been several reported incidents of robbery attacks on the Navrongo-Bolgatanga highway and the Navoro-Pungu-Gumongo in the Navrongo municipality, where a commercial tricycle operator was killed.

The party secretariat, commenting on the attacks, said “The NDC as a party is getting worried about the abnormal strange developments in the Region as far as crime is concern. It added that, “therefore wish to entreat the government to adopt swift and strategic measures to ensure the return of peace and stability in the Region so as to pave way for the sporadic development of the region without hindrances.”

As the party pushes for immediate action from the government to deal with the growing insecurity in the region, it serves warning to galvanize the region’s people in a massive demonstration against the government if no immediate stringent efforts are made by the government to address the high rate of insecurity in our region.

Reporting by Senyalah Castro in the Upper East Region

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